Megan Walkenhorst

About Megan Walkenhorst

Hi! I\'m Megan Walkenhorst, an early-career climate and clean energy policy professional. I\'m currently a Policy Principal at Advanced Energy United. All views expressed are my own. I am passionate about climate policy, renewable energy, climate migration, and addressing environmental injustices. I have strong research, data analysis, relationship-building, and policy analysis skills that I have applied in various positions and projects. Prior to United, I was the Fall 2023 Policy and Government Affairs Fellow at Turn Forward. Concurrently, I interned with the Institute for Sustainable Communities on its development and communications teams, where I improved Salesforce organizational systems, completed prospect research and proposal writing, and wrote blog posts. I graduated in May of 2023 with an M.S. in Science, Technology, and Environmental Policy (STEP) from the Humphrey School of Public Affairs. In 2022, I received a B.S. in Environmental Sciences, Policy, and Management with a minor in chemistry from the University of Minnesota. While in graduate school, I was the project manager for a research project on the intersection of climate change and reproductive rights/healthcare. I also studied abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark, where I learned about innovative solutions for sustainable agriculture and architecture, as well as climate policy.

Experience

1. Policy Principal

   Advanced Energy United

   Jan 2026 — Present · Washington, DC, US

Education

• Loyola University Chicago

  Racial Justice, Space, and the Environment

  2017 — 2017

• University of Minnesota

  Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, Chemistry

• DIS - Study Abroad

  Sustainability Studies

• Humphrey School of Public Affairs

  Master of Science - MS, Science Technology and Environmental Policy (STEP)